New sunset spectacle at Cambodia’s iconic site

A new website for tourists visiting the famous Cambodian Angkor Wat complex has been launched, providing information on the very best vantage points to see the spectacular site at sunset.

Around a million travellers on holidays to Cambodia visit the 800-year old site, the largest religious monument in the world, and the new website is aimed at helping to preserve the site, by spreading tourists across the park and pointing out vantage points that otherwise may not have been considered.

The website, AngkorSunsets.com, has been developed by the Royal Government of Cambodia, in collaboration with the Australian Government and UNESCO, and it is hoped that it will have the desired effect of helping to preserve this priceless and deeply significant cultural and religious artefact. The group explained in a statement: “By promoting the diverse and wonderful sunset experiences at Angkor, this project aims to spread visitor load across the park, provide benefits to local communities and offer new attractive opportunities for visitors.”

The Temple of Angkor Wat, located in the Angkor Archaeological Park in the Siem Reap province, covers 400 square kilometres, and provides a huge challenge in terms of maintenance and preservation.

Recently a vast and ancient urban landscape was discovered in Cambodia, linking numerous cities and temples to the Angkor Wat complex. The discovery, which has been proclaimed “the world's greatest pre-industrial site”, has fuelled international interest in Cambodia, and is sure to trigger a surge in tourism to the region. All of this adds to the challenge of protecting such a vital historical site, while also reaping the great benefits that tourism offers to the Cambodian economy.